England teams brought home an Aladdin’s cave of medals from the European Senior Team Championship, which concluded in Slovenia last week. Their victory in the over-65 section was particularly convincing. The team of John Nunn (reigning world senior champion 65+), Tony Kosten, Peter Large, Chris Baker and Nigel Povah lost just two games out of 36, and picked up four individual board medals, including gold for Chris Baker. Peter Large demolished a Finnish grandmaster in the following game.
Peter Large-Heikki Westerinen
European Sr Team Championship, 65+, 2024
(see left diagram)
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Bd7 5 Nf3 Bc6 6 Bd3 Nd7 7 O-O Ngf6 8 Neg5 Bxf3 9 Qxf3 c6 10 Re1 Be7 11 Qh3 Nf8 12 c3 Nd5 13 Qh5 Bxg5 14 Bxg5 Qd7 15 Rad1 Nf6 16 Qh4 Qe7 (see left diagram) Westerinen has conceded both bishops and oceans of time but castling queenside would improve the outlook. So the following central break is timely. 17 d5 cxd5 18 Bb5+ N8d7 19 c4 White’s pieces are ideally situated for this forcible opening of central files. a6 20 Bxd7+ Kxd7 21 cxd5 e5 22 Qh3+ Kd8 23 d6 Qe6 24 Qc3 24…Rc8 25 Qa5+ Kd7 26 Rxe5 wins easily, so Black resigns
The margin of victory was narrower in the 50+ section, with England 1, Hungary and Italy all tied on match points at the top of the table. The awkward happenstance of England 1 being paired against England 2 in the final round may have raised eyebrows among their competitors, but in truth England 1 already held a comfortable lead in the tiebreak, and their win in that match was just as expected on paper.
England’s first team of John Emms, Glenn Flear, Keith Arkell, Nigel Davies and Stuart Conquest also won four individual medals, with golds for Conquest and Arkell. Arkell showed his famed endgame skill on several occasions, but the game below shows a crisp mating attack.
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